To Be or Not To Be
by Renji4eva
Summary: That is the question. Ichihime. AU.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I probably shouldn't be starting a new fic right now, but since when do I listen to myself? ;)

This was meant to be a one-shot and of course it spiraled into this multi-chapter story. Won't be that long, though.

Anyway, enjoy!

Spoiler – An evil, evil vampire targeting an innocent seamstress.

Warnings – Possible historical inaccuracies.

Disclaimer – Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo. Title and summary quote from Shakespeare. The pic for the story's not mine.

Edit: I just broke up the giant paragraph that was there before. No other changes. Sorry if it showed up on anyone's notifications as updated. :)

* * *

**Chapter - 1**

**_Mid-19_****_th_****_ Century England, the village of Karakura._**

He was bored. Preposterously so.

Well then again, he was always bored.

Although that pretty little assistant seamstress seemed quite interesting.

He sat up straight in the chair he had been lounging in. Absent-mindedly, he pushed a few strands of his orange hair out of his face and he smirked as a devious glint entered his brown eyes.

He did always know how to amuse himself.

Let the games begin.

* * *

The morning rays of the sun shone on the busy marketplace of the village. An auburn-haired girl squeaked as she righted herself from almost having tripped on the trailing end of the cloth she was carrying. Tossing the bundle slightly so that she could hold it better in her thin, shapely arms, she smiled at the merchant she had purchased the cloth from as he waved her goodbye.

A bell tinkled as she stepped through the door of the shop. Her mentor and the owner of the small establishment turned to face her.

'I was beginning to worry about you, Orihime! What took you so long? There's a lot to be done.'

'My apologies, Madam.' The girl murmured as she offered a small smile, 'It's just that I was about to buy the material you had asked for when a new merchant who had a greater variety and better quality turned up at the marketplace and I bought these ones from him instead. He was very popular this morning and I had quite the crowd to get through.'

'Well, I suppose that's alright then.' The older woman huffed and pointed her assistant to one of the tables to set down the supplies.

She hummed as she set to work on one of the orders for a man's coat. She had to work hard at her profession but she didn't mind it much. It had become a habit for her and it could be said that she even enjoyed it.

'You're lucky, Inoue Orihime.' She told herself. But it was not that she was convincing herself or any such thing, she was just reminding herself of what she believed to be a fact.

She had not known what was to become of her and her sister Yuzu, who was four years younger to her when their older brother Sora had passed away six years earlier. Sora, who was fifteen years older to Orihime had been more of a father than a brother and had taken great care to ensure that his sisters lived as comfortably as possible on what little he made as an accountant for a tailoring shop in the village. Except for Sora, who had ran away with the two girls when Orihime was four and Yuzu was just an infant, the girls had never known their parents. Orihime had a few dim memories that suggested that they had not been the best sort of people and she had not tried to bring the matter up too many times.

Sora's death was a heavy blow to the girls. Orihime, then just fourteen years old had been at odds about what the two sisters were to do for a living. However, unfortunately for the owner of the tailoring shop and fortunately for them, a seamstress out of the two that had worked there had left for some reason and there had been a vacancy. The owner and sole remaining seamstress, Matsumoto Rangiku had taken them in and begun to train Orihime as her assistant while Yuzu helped out by doing other tasks such as cleaning the shop and cooking meals for her sister and herself. Orihime and Yuzu lived in a single room at the back of the shop and had a small bathroom and kitchen to themselves. These had been the accommodations of the previous seamstress and were now shared by the sisters since Rangiku had a house of her own not far from the shop.

The bell tinkled again and Madam Rangiku called out for Orihime to welcome their customer.

She made her way to the door and there he was. Tall, impressively so, standing at least a head taller than her. His frame lean, though built and sturdy, the features of his handsome face set in a cordial smile though he seemed to be frowning still. But what stood out the most of all instead of his bright orange hair, which was much wilder and captivating as compared to her own burnt orange shade, were his intense, brown eyes.

And for the past two months that she had known him, though she didn't particularly want to admit it, even to herself as the mere though caused her to blush, she had taken a liking to him. She knew it was a stupid idea of course, with him being who he was. Someone like him was well beyond her reach.

She shook herself from her transfixed stare that was beginning to border on rude and smiled politely as she curtsied.

'Good Morning, Lord Kurosaki. How may we help you today?'

He nodded in acknowledgement and replied, 'I was informed that my new suit was ready.'

'Oh, but Mr. Kurosaki, why trouble yourself?' she asked, scandalized that a man of such high rank had visited there shop for such a purpose. 'Surely you could have had someone get it for you! Had you given the slightest hint, we would have made haste to deliver it ourselves!'

'No worries, Miss Inoue. I merely wanted some exercise. Am I unwelcome?'

'Oh no! Far from it! I-'

'I'm only joking Miss Inoue.' He chuckled as she stopped stuttering and a pretty blush suffused her fair cheeks. 'No need to be alarmed.'

'Y-yes, my Lord. B-but unfortunately, we weren't expecting you and your suit isn't ready.'

'I see.'

'It will be ready by this afternoon, sir. I can deliver it myself if you would like.'

'That will be acceptable. I will be expecting you.'

'Yes, sir.'

'Have a nice day, then.' He said as he moved towards the exit.

She dropped into a hasty curtsy and smiled again. 'Have a nice day, Lord Kurosaki.'

* * *

Ah, the little assistant was such an innocent, invigorating girl. He felt almost guilty for wanting to toy with her. Almost.

* * *

A/N: So that's the first chapter! Some characters might seem OOC but I'm hoping that as the story progresses, their behavior will make more sense. The rating's a T but I might change it to M if requested. Although I really can't say.

Let me know your thoughts! Review please!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Another update! And the rating might be bumped up to M, but the material might not be very explicit or anything. That part's undecided for now. Sorry Gwen-chan!

I also want to credit my sister for her input in this story. She comes up with some damn funky stuff.

Thanks so much everyone for your wonderful reviews!

Thanks also for following or fav'ing this fic!

Merry Christmas!

* * *

**Chapter – 2**

'What brings you here, Abarai?' Lord Ichigo Kurosaki asked the tattooed redheaded man who sat in the chair opposite him. They were great friends. Although neither would admit to it.

'Visiting, of course. I heard you'd bought this place with Hitsugaya Toshiro and that the two of you have been living here for the past couple of months or so. I wasn't aware you were acquainted with the Earl.'

'Are you forgetting that I'm an Earl myself? I meant him at one odious social gathering or another and we've been friends since. We were quite fed up with the staid life back in our respective homes, so we moved out here. And you, visiting? Not bloody likely. Why don't you own up and say that you were tired of gallivanting about the seven seas?'

'Gallivanting?! I'm a merchant, dammit!'

'Hah! Merchant, my ass. A pirate, more likely.'

'OI! That's not true and you know it! I _am_ a merchant. And _coincidentally_, I also happen to be a privateer. I don't steal.' Renji Abarai said, but even he couldn't hold back a sly smirk that made the scowl on his friend's face more pronounced, 'Much.'

Ichigo snorted and looked out the window for the umpteenth time. There was a long time to go until his new favorite assistant seamstress turned up.

One of Renji's men apologized for intruding and bent down to whisper something into his Captain's ear.

'Speaking of stealing,' Renji said, 'You might have an unsolicited visitor.'

The orange-haired man raised an eyebrow. 'What bastard thinks he can break into _my_ house?'

'Why don't you find out?'

* * *

There. There it was again. Hushed whispers circulated through the busy marketplace. She had been hearing them ever since she had stepped out of the tailoring shop with the now-ready suit in her hands.

'Is something amiss?' Orihime inquired of the elderly Mrs. Suzuna Hanazawa who sold apples around the corner.

'Oh yes, my dear!' the woman exclaimed dramatically as she launched into her gossip, 'I would have hardly believed it, but just this morning, a thief was caught in Lord Kurosaki's treasury!'

'You don't say!'

'Oh yes!'

'But it's supposed to be so secure and well-guarded!'

'And it is! They caught the little miscreant, didn't they? And he was so young too. Barely twenty years old.'

'Oh. But then surely he wouldn't have done it on purpose? I suppose he could have been really hungry? Or maybe his brain was taken over?'

'Oh Orihime, you do say the funniest things.' The older lady shook her head fondly, 'But not every person is a good person. Some people have no goodness in their hearts.'

'What? Of course they do!'

'You have a lot to learn, my dear. What's that in your hand?'

'This? Oh, this is a new suit for – I'm going to be late!' the girl gasped and hurried away.

Mrs. Hanazawa smiled sadly. Such an innocent that Orhime was.

* * *

Rushing up the stone steps to the impressive manor that was as of now inhabited by the Earl of Kent, Toshiro Hitsugaya and the Earl of Derbyshire, Ichigo Kurosaki, she paused to catch her breath as she struck the ring of the brass knocker against the door. It was opened by her sister Yuzu's best friend who worked as a maid in the household.

'Good afternoon, Karin!' Orihime grinned at the younger girl, who was a little shorter than herself and had her black hair neatly pulled back from her face. 'I'm here to deliver a suit for Lord Kurosaki.'

'Oh. You can give it to me. I'll see that it's delivered.'

'Right. Um, he said that he'd be expecting me.'

'Did he? That's odd. However, he is otherwise occupied at the moment.'

'Oh.' She tried not to show the twinge of disappointment she felt. She then caught sight of the black-haired maid's expression.

'Is something wrong, Karin?'

The girl hesitated and then answered, 'Oh Orihime, it's awful! I'm sure you've heard all about the thief who tried to break in.'

'I did. But – '

'It's Jinta!'

'Jinta?! Jinta Hanakari?! Tell me it's a joke!'

'I wish I could! I haven't spoken to him of course, but everyone seems convinced!'

'I never would have believed it.' The auburn-haired girl whispered, shocked. A sudden thought struck her and she couldn't help but exclaim, 'whatever shall I tell Yuzu?!'

Jinta Hanakari was Yuzu's lover and fiancé.

Karin hung her head and her expression grew more conflicted by the passing second.

'I don't know what to say. But seeing how quickly news travelled around, I would think she probably knows by now.'

'Oh God! I'd best hurry back then.'

'Of course. I only wish I could be there for her at a time like this, but I am needed here at the moment.'

'I understand, Karin.'

'I don't think he did for himself. There has to be someone else behind this.'

'I couldn't agree more.'

'Unfortunately, we have no proof. I never liked his brash attitude but he was a perfect gentleman to Yuzu.' She sighed. 'All we have is our belief in him and just that will do him no good. Please tell Yuzu how sorry I feel that she has to go through such circumstances.'

'I shall.' Orhime called over her shoulder as she began to run home.

* * *

He stared unseeingly at the metal bars of the cell. He was a blacksmith, and proud of it too. How was he to know that his choice of profession would come back to bite him in the arse?

This very morning, some unknown bloke had come to him, claiming that the Lord wanted something from his treasury and he'd sent the man to get it. Unfortunately, he'd lost the key. He said that he'd heard that Jinta knew about locks and doors and could help him out. After all, the Lord had requested it.

He went to help the man and had just got the door open and walked inside when he'd heard the sound of people arriving. He had been surrounded by the Earl's men. The mystery man was nowhere to be seen and needless to say, nobody believed his story.

And that is how he found himself thrown in prison for no conceivable fault of his, though of course, he was the only one with this opinion. He'd thought that maybe the people in the village would vouch for him but it seemed that no one wanted to go against an Earl, let alone the two that were the owners of this place.

Ah, what his beloved Yuzu would think of him.

* * *

'Where is she, Madam?' Orihime asked a grim-faced Rangiku who nodded towards the room at the back of the shop.

The girl moved towards it when Rangiku spoke again, 'Don't bother. She's locked herself in there since she heard and refuses to open up. I've tried everything since then.'

The assistant seamstress nodded sadly at her mentor and slumped into an old rickety chair set against a nearby wall, fidgeting uncertainly.

There was a horrible silence that suffocated them but there were no words to be said.

Orihime spent a sleepless night in the chair, worrying for her sister.

She awoke the next morning and made her way to the room. She knocked several times and upon receiving no answer, instinctively pushed the door, trying to open it. It did and she had almost breathed a sigh of relief when a new problem made itself known to her.

Yuzu was missing.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the lack of Ichihime in this chapter! But I needed to get all this stuff out of the way to set up ;)

Note: Privateers were the same as pirates with the difference being that they had letters of marque guaranteeing their safety from the government. They were legally allowed to do what they did.

Blacksmiths did help make doors (I think more of the hinges part), locks and other things apart from swords. At least that's what I gathered from the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie!

And yes, Ichigo Kurosaki is from Derbyshire because of my love of Pride and Prejudice. XD

I hope you liked it! Let me know your thoughts!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Another chapter from me? Why yes, yes it is. It was a lot of work, this one, but I'm happy with the result :)

Loving your reviews, guys! Thanks also for following or fav'ing.

Thanks to **nypsy**, I realized that this might be a common query so I'm clearing it up. Orihime is twenty and Yuzu is sixteen.

Alright, so I wanted to post this chapter about 24 hours ago or something, but for some reason I couldn't log in. Now at first this totally frustrated me but by the end of it I was saved from major plot holes!

Again, credit to my awesomely imaginative sis for her ideas.

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter – 3**

Her worry and weariness were beginning to show on her beautiful visage. Brows crinkled and shell-pink lips turned to form a slight frown as the auburn-haired girl's frantic eyes looked around for her missing sister. The sun was setting and Orihime had not found even a slight clue as to where Yuzu could be. She'd asked just about every person she could for her sister's whereabouts but had only received unsatisfactory answers. Her concern mounted by the passing second as more and more lanterns continued to be hung up on the streets.

A person in a cloak approached her and she turned to see Karin gesturing to her to keep silent. She followed the girl and they crouched behind an old house.

'Karin, what is it? Do you have any news?'

'We were told not to let this be known to anyone in the village but I felt compelled to tell you and have thus sought you out as soon as I could. Yuzu is in prison! Both her and Jinta are to be executed by the end of the week!'

'No! That cannot be!'

'I'm sorry, Orihime but I speak the truth.' She said grimly, a tormented look upon her face, 'It would be exceedingly dangerous and foolhardy but I can take you to see her.'

'Let us not linger a moment longer.'

'I thought you might say that.'

Unbeknownst to the two, they did not go unnoticed.

* * *

Trying not to cringe at the small clang, which she assumed was Karin shutting the door that led to the prison and leaving (for a maid standing outside on guard would only arouse suspicion), Orihime turned her attention to the twin gasps that had been emitted from one of the cells upon her arrival and made her way through a narrow passage.

'Orihime!' the two voices chorused.

'Yuzu! Jinta!'

'Oh, Orihime, I was trying to help Jinta escape! I'm so sorry for not telling – '

'No, don't apologize, for I only wish that you hadn't been caught!'

A pained look of understanding passed between the two sisters. They knew that her profound love for her red-haired fiancé (though it was the major one) was not the sole reason that Yuzu had tried to break him out.

Orihime quickly dug out the key that she had stolen from an inebriated, passed out, strangely tattooed, red-headed man, who was supposed to be keeping watch on the prisoners. At least that is what she deduced from his position near the entrance to the jail.

She had just managed to get the door open when a familiar voice broke the silence.

'Well, well, what have we here?'

She swiveled hurriedly to look at the face of Lord Ichigo Kurosaki.

Apparently, Karin had not been behind the noise earlier.

She was more than shocked but she was not at leisure to spare any thought for her feelings.

Throwing all her weight into her sudden tackle, she pushed him to the hard, stone floor as she shouted a single word.

'RUN!'

Jinta wasted no time in grasping the hand of a stunned Yuzu, dragging her out of the cell and running as if their lives depended on it, because they did.

Meanwhile, in a split-second, the Lord was upright and had her by her wrists, which were being held behind her back as he held her against himself. His other arm was wrapped around her waist, restraining her.

He could barely contain his surprise, thoroughly taken back by her. He had planned to subtly play with her and of course, had not anticipated her actions. However, with this happening, he no longer had any need to continue his façade. He was repulsed at having to play the role of an innocent well-wisher and was glad for it to have come to an end.

He roughly shoved her away and let her stand on her own. After all, there was no way for her to escape him.

She slowly turned, gulping audibly. Her face was flushed with exertion, her breath coming out almost in gasps. Tendrils of her burnt-orange hair had escaped from her usual neat bun. Her eyes had a pleading look about them.

'M-my lord, I have a request.' She stuttered and swallowed in a vain attempt to gain control of her haggard breathing.

'What makes you think I will listen to what you have to say after what you just did?' his cold eyes bored into her.

'P-please, my lord.' She stammered.

'Let us hear it then.'

'Would you please call off the execution, my lord?'

She had managed to surprise him again. There were few who would even consider being this direct when conversing with him.

'Oh? And why would I do that?'

'Please, my lord, she's my sister.'

'And so you thought you'd barge in here and simply _ask_ me to change my decision?'

He pretended not to notice her flinch.

'I am not your friend, Miss Inoue,' he sneered as she cast her ashamed gaze downwards, 'nor am I an acquaintance whom you can possibly think of asking favors from. Tell me, do you not have a sense of propriety that prevents you from bursting into prisons and making demands when you have done wrong?'

She was biting her lower lip relentlessly and she appeared to find floor extremely interesting.

'Please, my lord.' She repeated in a whisper, so softly that if he were human, it would have escaped his notice.

'And what would I get in return for calling off this execution?'

'My lord?' her head shot up hopefully and without wasting a single second, she replied.

'Anything.'

He snorted disdainfully.

'Anything you say? And what could you possibly have to bargain with?'

He could almost _hear_ her trying to think of something.

'I am interested to know your answer. There are few things that can tempt me.'

The way his smoldering eyes deliberately raked over her nervous form was not missed by her.

She did not recognize this man. She felt as if he'd lifted the covering from her eyes and revealed himself in his true colors, and she did not like them one bit.

Every time that he'd visited their shop and spoken polite, almost charming words to her, Madam Rangiku had teased her so. But at the end of the day, she'd always shoved aside the humor to caution Orihime against the Earl, almost as if she was privy to some unknown secret. She had never believed her mentor and had had the utmost faith in the good nature of all people. And to see a person whom she'd placed in such high regard be so callous had thrown her.

The first time she'd met him, she had not known who he was. One fine morning two months ago, she'd stepped out of the way of an oncoming carriage and promptly run into him. The force of it had caused her to fall onto the street and he'd gallantly helped her up. She'd apologized and grinned at him when he'd accepted. She'd stood there, chattering a mile-a-minute about absolutely ridiculous things and he'd stood there and listened to each of them.

After he'd left, one of the incredulous bystanders who'd been gawking at them had informed her of his identity. Emitting a mortified squeak, she'd quickly gone off to heap more apologies on him, each of which had been blown off by him with a good-natured chuckle.

She'd met him several time since the incident. It would seem that he'd wanted a lot of new suits.

And every encounter that occurred only made her realize that she had slowly fallen for him. Fallen for his charismatic personality. Falling for his abrupt and offhand manner. Fallen for the subconscious scowl that was ever-present on his handsome face.

To find out now that it had all been a front genuinely upset her. Still, an irrational part of her hoped that he was the gentleman that she'd thought him to be. It was a small hope, but it was all she had, considering what she was about to say.

She held her head high and looked him straight in the eye. It was the only way she could bring herself to actually form the words. She would not falter.

He continued to leer at her body and she hated it. She knew that she had no money, nothing to give him. But she knew what he wanted, or what she thought he wanted anyway. She grit her teeth and offered him the only thing she had to offer, her most important possession. And it killed her to do it.

'You can have my first time.'

She watched shock, something akin to anticipation and an entirely enigmatic look play on his face.

'You're giving me your virginity?' he asked and she nodded dumbly, her gaze downcast again as she recoiled at his blunt words, her pretty lips mashed together in distaste.

'You realize that you'd be ruined for any other man?'

'It is not like I have someone, my lord.'

'You couldn't marry if you wanted.'

'I am already twenty, my lord. I'm too old to be married by most standards.'

'And what about your work as a seamstress?'

'It would remain unaffected. I will not tell a soul about this agreement and I doubt you would divulge any information, my lord.'

Well, she didn't know it but she had him there. He had never cared for gossip.

'Why would you do this?' he asked and she restrained herself from shooting him a look of hate. How could he ask that of her after backing her into a corner? Yes, this was all she had. And if asked a hundred times over, she would still stand her ground, because she could not afford to give up.

'For my sister.' And this time her voice was a whisper again. She had made her decision, but that did not mean that it wasn't a hard one.

'All this? For your sister?'

'She is all I have.'

'So you would surrender yourself?'

She did not understand him. At one moment he was standing there, smirking cruelly at her, twisting her around his finger so that she would say what he wanted to hear and at the other, he was asking her question after question, searching for what answer, she did not know.

'Yes. She is young. She has a life ahead of her and I refuse to let it end this way.'

'Her actions have resulted in her fate.'

'What else was she supposed to do?!'

It seemed that she had had enough of trying to keep herself calm. She had finally given in to her temper.

'He's her fiancé! If he were to be executed, she would automatically be considered tainted through association! She'd be forced to spend her life as a spinster for no man would propose to such a woman!'

She was nothing like he had expected. In fact, he had not foreseen that his expectations would be so off the mark. He had thought her to be a simple village girl who would bend to his demands. He had not fathomed that she would fight. And he was loathe to admit it but he knew that what she was doing was neither foolish nor stupid. She was indescribably brave. She was destroying her future and any happiness that would have come her way with her own hands. All to save her sister.

For a moment, it bothered him and he felt a pang of regret that he was making use of her for his entertainment. But he brushed it off the next.

'You'd do well to keep your voice down when speaking to me, Miss Inoue. You are the one with the request, after all.'

'My apologies, my lord.' She swallowed and bit back her angry words but her eyes blazed at him.

The sound of a scuffle cut across their conversation and a loud voice boomed out from the entrance of the prison.

'I've got the two prisoners, Ichigo. What do you want me to do?'

Orihime's heart sank. She'd thought the guard had been drunk! It seemed that he was merely pretending in order to catch them red-handed. All her efforts had been in vain. But she persevered and sent a silent plea to the orange-haired man in front of her.

He tilted his head a bit and smirked coldly at her as he replied.

'Let them go, Renji.'

The man did not question his decision and shut the prison door, leaving the lord and the seamstress alone again.

He ignored her 'Thank you.' and continued as if he hadn't been interrupted.

'I'm considering your proposal, but I can think of one more thing.'

She had not foreseen that.

'What more could you possibly want from me?' she asked in quiet anger and then took a breath, adding hostilely, 'My lord?'

She had tried not to show it but she had been well aware of the steps he'd taken towards her. She had to crane her neck to look up at him since he stood mere inches away.

'Let me show you.' He murmured in a dangerously low voice.

Her silver-gray eyes stretched wide as one of his hands came up to tilt her face away from her shoulder and he suddenly bent his head. She stood unbearably still as his warm breath blew against her throat. The next thing she knew, she felt two sharp stings of pain as what could only be his teeth sank into her throat, piercing the delicate skin.

Before she could even bring herself to scream, an awful darkness enveloped her.

* * *

A/N: Phew! This is twice the length of my usual updates!

Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Lemme know your thoughts!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I'm back!

**Misha **and **Farrah **– Thanks for reviewing!

A big thanks to everyone else as well, and added thanks to all who have followed or faved this fic!

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter – 4**

Her sweet blood flowed into his waiting mouth. His arms tightened around her waist and shoulders as her eyes slowly fluttered shut and her body slumped. He licked his lips, savoring the addictive taste, his mind recording little details like the feel of her satiny skin and her fragrant, floral scent. She was unexpectedly delicious, in all senses of the word.

He'd been privy to a short flash of her feelings when he'd bit into her tantalizingly delicate throat, for being able to do so was one of his abilities. There were three prominent ones. Anger, at him for behaving the way he did, at his arrogance and indifference. Frustration, at the helplessness of her situation. He'd been thoroughly taken aback by the third one; Regret, for loving him.

He was still unable to believe that she loved him. Uncharacteristically, he felt a sudden pang of guilt, but the next moment it was gone.

He smirked inwardly as he thought of just how much this unearthed fact would serve in entertaining him. He looked down at her and his gaze fell to the imprint of his teeth that glowed red with her blood against the sensual backdrop of her pale neck. The sight was riveting. He thought he felt an odd sense of remorse at hurting her but promptly brushed it off. He effortlessly scooped her light form into his arms and began to walk out of the prison.

* * *

She blinked, adjusting to the light as she awoke. The bed she was laying on feeling unusually soft and that was not something that she was accustomed to.

Wait.

This was not her bedroom ceiling, definitely not. She would have known if her bedroom ceiling had had such an elaborate light fixture. She turned her head to the side and let out a strangled scream. She was not alone.

Lord Ichigo Kurosaki was stretched on his side next to her, an insufferable smirk on his annoyingly handsome face.

He sat up and she did the same, scooting away till her back hit the headboard. And then –

'Ow.' She said and held her head. It probably hadn't been a good idea to get up so suddenly. She frowned in discomfort, pulling out the pins holding the bun up. She let her long, burnt-orange hair cascade down her back and around her shoulders while she rubbed soothing circles on her temples, oblivious to the heated expression that passed over the Lord's face.

She looked at him and gasped as she remembered his actions in the prison. Immediately, her hand shot to the side of the neck and she felt the mark there, her eyes growing wider and wider with shock.

'You're a vampire!'

'Yes.'

She gaped at his frank answer and her eyes were like saucers.

'No! That's not possible! Those are all just stories!'

'You'd best start believing in fairytales, Miss Inoue.' He appeared to be amused in a dark sort of way that made her feel increasingly uneasy.

'But how?'

'Well that is the result of having a vampire father and a human mother. Hmm, in that sense it would be wrong of me to say that I'm a vampire. More like a half-vampire.'

'I . . . don't understand.'

'You don't need to.'

'No, tell me.'

He controlled himself from raising his eyebrows in disbelief. She was different, this one. Of that he was certain. What normal person would have the audacity to command him like she had in such a situation? He decided to indulge her and let the matter drop. For now.

'What do you want to know?'

'H-how old are you, my lord?'

He burst out laughing at her question.

'Oh, I see. You wouldn't want to bed an old geezer, now would you?'

Her face flamed scarlet.

'Th-that I . . . well . . . '

'I shall assuage your fears. I am twenty-four.'

She blinked once, twice.

'How long have you been twenty-four, my lord?'

A derisive look came over his face.

'For someone who doesn't believe in stories, you seem to put quite a bit of faith in them.'

She remained silent.

'I have become twenty-four in twenty-four years.'

'How – '

He grew frustrated. He didn't know why he was answering her questions except that for some reason he enjoyed looking at her expressions.

'Contrary to any information that you might have, Miss Inoue, vampires are not the undead, nor can humans be "created" or "transformed" to be vampires. That is not how it works. Vampires are born, but only if at least one parent is a full vampire. It is necessary that half the blood be that of a vampire for the child to have any abilities.'

'Abilities?'

'Strength, speed, agility, a highly intelligent mind and one very interesting trait which has benefitted me recently.'

'My lord?'

'Forgive me for being so ignorant of your feelings for me, Miss Inoue.' His voice was smooth, taunting and the contemptuous look in his eyes made a mockery of his words.

She didn't realize that she had stopped breathing. He watched in strange fascination as she blanched and then blushed furiously, having no sort of reply for him.

'How? I-I mean that's not – '

'Oh spare me. I gained a glimpse when I bit you.'

It's not as if she didn't know how blunt he was but that did not mean that the self-satisfied wry smile that accompanied his reply did not annoy her. Did he honestly think that just because she was in his manor (for a look outside the window in the room had confirmed this) she was going to be all meek and quiet? Well, she'd show him that she could be blunt too.

'So you need my blood. Is that it? That's why you've brought me here, to drain me dry?'

Far from what she had expected, his mouth twisted into an arrogantly amused grin and he let out a small chuckle.

'You've quite an imagination, don't you? It's remarkable. However, I suppose I must burst your little bubble. Let me tell you an interesting titbit. To most vampires, myself included, blood is like wine. You can live without it, you can moderate your intake or you can't live without it. It is not something that is essential for survival, but it is something desirable and enjoyable.'

Her eyes widened as his hand came up to trace maddeningly distracting patterns on the base of her neck, his long fingers brushing teasingly over her skin. She stubbornly turned her face away from him, trying to control her uneven breathing.

'So you see Miss Inoue,' he breathed, his husky voice reverberating in her ear, 'I'm sorry to disappoint you but I don't need your blood, I _want_ it. Amongst other things . . . '

Her head whipped back and she met his brazen stare. He observed her through strands of orange hair, his eyes burning dangerously and his lips curved into an unnerving smile. Her breath stuck in her throat and she immediately diverted her gaze away from him.

He gave a quiet laugh, which for so small a gesture was oddly menacing and exited the room, leaving her with a befuddled mind and a racing heart.

* * *

A/N: And there you have all the vampire specifics. Did anybody recognize the _Pirates_ dialogue? I'm curious :)

I forget which manga volume it was but there is a pic of Ichigo, Renji, Toshiro and Chad as vampires. I think Ichigo looks damn sexy in that. I can't say for sure because Renji distracted me XD

Now that I'm done with my craziness, I hope that you liked the chapter! Lemme know your thoughts!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello again!

Thanks for all the reviews everyone! Thanks also for faving and following!

As usual, credits to my sis for just being her fussy, hard-to-please self!

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter – 5**

Gravel crunched beneath their feet as two figures walked up to the door of a simple cottage. It was quite late at night as was signified by the chirps of crickets in the shrubbery surrounding them but then again, this was no social visit.

A sharp knock later, a strawberry-blonde woman with pale blue eyes hesitantly opened the door.

'Who is – Yuzu?!'

'Madam Rangiku! I'm sorry for calling on you so late, but I-I came to say goodbye.'

The older woman sighed. She had expected that something like this would happen if the execution was called off. This was the only way for them. News of Jinta's arrest had spread through the village and even the most trusting of people would turn their back on him now since he was on the Earl's bad side (this was assumed as the Earl hadn't stated otherwise), eventually resulting in a failing business and a life of poverty. The best choice for him and his fiancé was to go elsewhere and look for work.

'I understand. I wish you both happiness.'

'Thank you, Madam Rangiku. If you would be agreeable, I want to ask a favor of you.'

* * *

She let the soft petals of the blooming flowers brush her fingertips as she walked through the garden, taking in row after row of captivating colors. A familiar voice called her name and she saw Karin walking to her.

'Orihime, a letter just arrived for you!'

'Me?'

'Yes, it's from Yuzu!'

Handing it to Orihime, the black-haired girl left, though the older girl noticed that she seemed to be rubbing her eyes.

She tore open the envelope and quickly unfolded the single sheet of paper. It read:

_Dear Orihime,_

_I am sorry for not being able to tell you this in person, but Jinta and I are leaving. I know that you must have done something for there is no other reason that the Earl allowed us to go. We will be forever grateful to you. Please remember that I loved you dearly and it pains me immensely to leave you this way. I wish you the happiest future and hope that when you think of me, it will be with fondness for the treasured memories that we have shared. We may not meet again but the precious moments of the past will stay in our hearts. I speak only the truth when I say that I could not have asked for a better sister._

_Yours most lovingly,_

_Yuzu_

Silent sobs shook her body as tears cascaded down her pale cheeks. She had been prepared for this but even so, it did not hurt any less. She lowered herself onto the grass and clutched the letter to her heart as she gave up on trying to stop her tears. She knew that she had to be brave to face the days ahead, but right now, she would grieve for her sister, her only remaining blood relative who was now gone from her life. She let out her suppressed cries, finally giving in to her sorrows.

* * *

He watched the auburn-haired girl from afar. The strong wind whipped about her small figure as she wept, her hands unable to stench the flow of tears down her face. Her crying bothered him. She always put on a brave face when talking to him, appearing to be strong and persistent. To see her in this state was for some inexplicable reason, irritating and frustrating.

* * *

There was a knock on the door and she looked up from reading Yuzu's letter for the umpteenth time. She stood up from the desk and Karin entered the room.

'The Lord requests your company at dinner.'

The girl's words were greeted with a bewildered stare.

'He's had this sent for you.'

It was then that Orihime noted the neatly folded bundle in Karin's arms.

* * *

The dress was perfect. The deep red clashed with her creamy skin, perfectly complimenting her blushing cheeks and stormy gray eyes. It hung off of her shoulders, exposing her delicate shoulders, the low neckline drawing attention to her décolletage. She wore her hair up in an elaborate fashion, a single red rose placed in her luscious burnt orange hair. The ensemble exposed her alluring neck, eliciting a rather strong response in him.

* * *

He had yet to touch his food. It was unnerving. His intense gaze did not wander from her even for a moment. He did not utter a word and his enigmatic expression did not give anything away.

At his gesture, she'd begun to eat the food placed before her, although the feel of his scorching eyes on her made her lose her appetite. She had tried to initiate conversation, if only to escape his heated stare but at receiving no reply, she'd been forced to remain quiet.

She fidgeted uncomfortably, her hand shaking as she brought her fork to her mouth. Scarcely an hour ago, she'd almost had a coronary when she'd put on the dress. It was scandalous, to say the least. She felt so . . . _exposed_.

What was it? Why did he stare at her so? She watched surreptitiously as his chocolate eyes roved over her form, like they had countless times this evening. The silence that hung between them was heavy with tension, making her increasingly edgy. She could take it no more.

'Are you waiting for something, my lord?'

'What was it that gave you that impression?'

'You haven't had a bite all evening, my lord.'

'I'm waiting for dessert.'

This time, she couldn't miss the deliberate way his molten eyes glanced over her body. The corner of his mouth curled up into a lecherous smirk, as if he were amused at some private joke between them.

The words she'd last spoken echoed in her mind and she instantly regretted saying them. She'd all but given him an open invitation and from the looks of it, he was more than glad to accept.

Fear overshadowed pride. The legs of the chair she'd been sitting in scraped loudly against the floor as she shot up and ran with the single-minded purpose of putting a considerable distance between herself and the Earl.

Her palms hit the wood of the door and an arm came around her as his hand held the handle, trapping her.

She could hear her own heart thudding violently in her chest as adrenaline rushed through her. But even she knew that she was caught.

His hot breath on the nape of her neck sent shivers down her spine. He let go of the knob and placed his hands on her waist and she felt the warmth of his touch through the thin material of the dress.

A jolt shook through her as he suddenly kissed her neck, his searing mouth moving over her sensitive skin. She felt a swathe of wet heat as he slowly, unexpectedly licked her throat and she trembled. She gulped audibly, her breathing quick and shallow. His hands began to move upwards and she couldn't hold back a strangled cry.

'_Stop!_'

It was probably her imagination but she thought that he stilled for a moment. She heard him breathe an amused chuckle in her ear before he turned the handle and threw the door open.

She bolted, not caring if he followed her. She'd taken two steps up the wide, winding staircase and then she heard his voice say one word.

'Orihime.'

She turned back, whether by reflex or otherwise she did not know and stood in shock for a second.

All his attention was on her and so he hadn't seen the chandelier that was about to fall on him.

She ran towards him as fast as she could, throwing herself onto him. They landed on the hard floor just as the chandelier fell and shattered, narrowly avoiding them.

Or so he'd thought.

'What are you – 'he'd started to say before he noticed her wince and bite her lip. She began to get up and winced again.

'Don't move!'

She stilled immediately.

He slowly eased her off of himself and noted the smell of blood in the air. There was a gash on her right ankle, with crimson liquid seeping from the wound and dripping onto the floor.

Hooking an arm under her knees and the other around her back, he lifted her like a bride. She blinked in shock and reflexively looped her arms about his neck. He began to walk up the staircase and she noted that his face was unusually serious.

Striding through the corridors (and past a flabbergasted Karin), he entered her room and gently set her on the bed. He sat down at the foot of the bed and drew her feet into his lap.

He shifted her skirt away from the wound and her eyes grew wide as Lord Ichigo Kurosaki's hand crept under the hem. Her hands fisted the sheets as she felt his long fingers move up her leg. She gasped silently as he smoothly undid the garter and began to slide down her stocking. He pulled it off and lifted up her right ankle. His gaze was resolutely diverted away from her questioning eyes and focused on her ankle, which was bleeding quite a bit. She hesitated and bit her lip as she restrained herself from jerking her foot away. She wouldn't have been able to stop him anyway.

She winced at a slightly painful pulling sensation and saw him carefully plucking out a shard of glass from the cut. Wadding up her discarded stocking, he gently wiped away the blood. She watched in disbelief as reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. Folding it up neatly, he wound it around her ankle, securely knotting it in place.

And then he left.

* * *

She tossed and turned, mindful of her wound as she tried to get some sleep. But her revolving thoughts would not let her. The Lord's actions were confusing her. He'd had such a serious look on his face and there hadn't been even a hint of his usual smirk. Why did he leave so suddenly? And moreover, why did he help her? Was it because she had tried to save him? Was it because he felt some sort of remorse for what he had done? Or – and this was surely the most ridiculous of all – was it because he actually _cared_?

A bang resounded through the room and the very man who'd plagued her thoughts came barging in. Without a pause, he grabbed one of her wrists and yanked her out of bed. She bit back a protest as her back suddenly met a hard wall.

His eyes blazed at her and he seemed absolutely ferocious.

'Why?' he growled harshly, 'what the devil were you thinking?!'

'I – I don't – '

'Don't play dumb!' he snarled and she flinched. 'Why the hell did you save me? I would have survived anyway!'

'_I_ didn't know that.' She was still scared but her voice was stronger now.

'Even so, why?'

'I can't bear to see anyone get hurt.'

His expression changed but became so inscrutable that she didn't know what to make of it.

'Even me?' he asked, his voice a low whisper.

'Even you.'

And with that, his lips were on hers.

* * *

A/N: Ta-da! There you have it!

**Misha **– I can't PM you so I'll just say it here – Thanks for reviewing! :)

Hope you liked the chapter guys! Lemme know your thoughts!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hello!

I'm very late, I know! You can beat me up. But not too hard please! ;)

Thanks for reviewing, faving and following! Made me a very happy writer, it did.

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter – 6**

She didn't know what was happening. She could fight and scream when he was forceful and aggressive but when he was being so gentle, she couldn't even summon a shred of resistance. Her eyes, which had gone impossibly wide slowly fluttered shut as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. It was an inexplicable involuntary surrender and she responded to him. She was sure he could hear the erratic beat of her wildly pounding heart. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined something like this.

His hands, which had been curled into fists on either side of her head moved to her face and shoulder which had her shuddering at the heat that emanated from his touch. His tongue swept her plump bottom lip and her breath hitched in her throat. She gasped and he used the opportunity to plunge into her mouth. Their tongues met and a bolt of electricity jolted down her spine at the foreign but enticing feeling. He devoured her mouth, tasting and exploring the sweet taste of her.

Finally, he lifted his head and let her take in much-needed breath. Molten chocolate-brown eyes met stormy gray ones. The intensity of his smoldering gaze was nothing like she had seen before and it made her shiver. She felt drawn to him. She was not hypnotized, she was mesmerized. By him.

He blinked and the connection broke. And then, as quickly as he had come, he left.

Her knees, weak from the kiss could no longer support her weight and she slid to the floor.

Her hand slowly came up to brush her still slightly-parted lips. She could never have imagined that her first kiss would be like this . . .

* * *

He gave a frustrated yell and the glass of brandy that had been in his hand shattered into fragments as he threw it into the blazing fireplace.

It had been more than an hour. But he couldn't forget what had happened.

"_Bloody hell!_"

What the devil had he been thinking to kiss her like that?!

He didn't do such things! Gah! It was almost as if he had . . . _feelings_ for her. Which he did not, thank you very much. She was just a pretty young thing to derive pleasure from and that was that. At least that is what he told himself.

So why the hell did she kiss him back?!

Infuriating woman! Why was it that he couldn't get her out of his head?!

The same scene kept repeating over and over.

The way she'd looked after he'd kissed her . . . her long, red-orange hair loose and framing her face and delicate shoulders, her sooty eyelashes brushing against her crimson cheeks every time that she blinked and her sweet, sweet cherry-red lips . . .

He groaned. Clearly, he was not to get much sleep with _that_ image floating around in his mind.

* * *

She hummed to herself as she walked down the corridor. She'd had a good breakfast and now she was looking for an interesting way to keep herself occupied . . . if only to keep away the thoughts of the previous night which made her blush so very badly.

She came upon a set of large double-doors. Cautiously pushing one open a bit, she peeked inside to see a well-kept library. It was very large and she was sure to be lost if she wandered too far. It was uncommon, but she knew how to read and write. Her brother, Sora had taught her that.

She moved to one of the shelves and a black tome caught her attention. She plucked it out and began to turn the pages.

* * *

She winced as a twig snapped underneath her feet. For goodness's sake! She was trying to be quiet here! Staying hidden in the shadows, she uneasily walked past a person – tree. Yes, a person – tree. What else to call a tree that looks like a person? At least that's what it seemed like to her, not that she could see very well thanks to the meagre moonlight.

She'd barely taken a couple of steps forward when the person-tree spoke.

'You've seem to have made a habit of sneaking around in the middle of the night, haven't you?'

She yelped and turned around to look at a very familiar pair of brown eyes. Her gaze travelled down his straight nose to his lips. Which had her blushing again, of course.

'What are you doing?' he asked, interrupting her thoughts of 'hot, heated kisses.'

'Going to look for my sister.' She replied, more bravely than she felt.

His eyebrow twitched and his scowl deepened.

'What? Why would you do that? I thought we had an agreement, Miss Inoue?'

'Well, my lord, you never said that I couldn't go look for my sister.'

He ran a hand through his hair, feeling nothing short of irritated at his own lack of foresight. That clever little - ! She'd found a _loophole_?

He looked back at her and found that she was already a few meters away, purposefully striding through the woods.

'Where are you going?' he called after her, taking long strides to catch up.

'To look for my sister like I told you, my lord.'

'And how in the blazes do you know her whereabouts?' he asked, beside her now.

'Women's intuition.'

'Women's . . . intuition?' his tone was unmistakably skeptic but it was lost on her.

'Of course, my lord! My women's intuition will guide me to Yuzu!'

'Codswallop.'

'That's rude.' She chided and he blinked. She was acting as if she were correcting a small boy.

'Have faith, my lord! It'll work for sure!'

* * *

About an hour later, she suddenly stopped, her face scrunched up into an adorable frown.

Wait a moment.

Adorable?! Since when had she become adorable?!

He watched as she turned her head from side to side, her index finger tapping her chin.

'We're lost, aren't we?' he asked through gritted teeth, mentally cursing his own stupidity. Just what had possessed him to follow her?! He should have tossed her over his shoulder and dragged her back when he had the chance.

'Hmm . . .yes, it would appear so.' She said nonchalantly, breaking through his thoughts of how nice it would be to have this particular bundle tossed over his shoulder.

'How can you be so calm about this?!'

'Well, it's not like yelling about it is going to help any, my lord.' She said, not scornful in the least.

'And just what do you suggest we do now?'

'We wait. Sooner or later my women's intuition will get us there.' She said and actually gave him an encouraging smile which made his patience fly out the window. Not that he had much to begin with.

'To hell with your damned women's intuition! We're lost in the middle of a goddamned forest! Perfect! Bloody perfect! All we need for this night to be even more perfect is a good old rainstorm!'

Moments later, the contents of the heavy clouds were emptied over their heads.

'You shouldn't have said that, my lord.'

* * *

A/N: There it is!

Since I can't PM you guys, **Misha, Mariah, Little Lily **and **Beautiful chrysa**, Thanks so much for your wonderful reviews!

Just to make it clear, there was no vampire-y powers involved when she felt mesmerized by him. That was just part of Ichigo's sexines – charm. I mean charm.

Hope you all liked this chapter! Lemme know your thoughts!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: My muse is baaaaaaaaaaack!

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! And also for faving and following :)

**nypsy** – Your confusion will probably be cleared in the next chapter :)

Credits to my sis aka neko-chan for being so fussy.

Disclaimer – And I swear I will go crazy writing this every single time – Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter - 7**

'Come.' He said and she stared.

'If you don't want to you're welcome to stay here in the rain.'

He started walking away, and she followed.

'Do you know where to go, my lord?'

'Of course not. But anything is better than just standing there.'

Well, she had to agree with that.

They trudged through the forest, hands trying to shield their faces from the stinging droplets of water and pushing branches out of their way.

'Hurry up!'

'Yes!'

Her foot caught on something on the ground and she stumbled.

He impatiently grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him. She hoped he couldn't see her blush.

They eventually came upon a sort of broken down shed.

'Looks like this will have to do.' The Earl said, clearly unhappy with the circumstances.

They pushed open the creaky old door and were relieved to find that it was quite dry, even if it was cold and dusty. There was a single, small grimy window against which the pouring rain spattered.

He heard a strange sound and looked back at his auburn-haired companion. Her teeth were chattering as the girl shivered from the cold, her thin dress completely soaked through and adding to the chill.

'Strip.'

Wide gray eyes stared at him in shock.

'Strip.' He ordered and watched as she gulped.

'I-I won't.' she stammered and gave him an expression full of mistrust, her eyes narrowed in dislike and lips pressed into a thin line. Then he realized what she was getting at.

'Good lord, Miss Inoue! I'm not going to take you in this decrepit hovel!'

What kind of bastard did she think he was?! Oh wait. Exactly the kind that he wanted her to think. Somehow, that hadn't bothered him until now. Surely she didn't expect he'd stoop _that_ low?

She eyed him warily and he groaned inside. She did. She really did. He could see that she had no faith in his words. And at this point he didn't care. Stupid girl. As if he'd let her catch her death shivering like that.

'Take your clothes off or I will.' He growled and she gasped in horror.

He began to unbutton his shirt. Fortunately, it was dry since he'd had a coat on. His actions confused her but his eyes were hard and cold (at least that's what she judged from as much as she could see in the dark), but his unrelenting tone was enough and this time she didn't doubt him for a second. She had no idea what he'd planned but she didn't have any choice but to go along with it, now did she?

She stood so that her back faced him, started to disrobe and mumbled a hurt whisper.

'You're despicable.'

His scowl deepened. He didn't expect it but those two words stung.

'Here.' He said in a harsh voice and a soft material landed on her head. She pulled it into her hands and stared. It was his shirt.

She looked at him in astonishment but he was turned away from her.

She undressed hurriedly before pulling on the borrowed shirt, fastening the buttons right up till the collar and holding her arms around herself.

'I'm done, my lord.' She said and faced him again.

He was very thankful for the excellent eyesight, even at night that came with being a vampire. He had to admit that there was something about seeing her in his shirt that was very pleasing. The sleeves were too long, so that only her dainty fingertips were visible from underneath the cuffs. Her burnt-orange hair clashed well with the white cloth and her long, long legs with creamy-looking skin uncovered for his perusal. And of course, even in this disheveled state, she managed to look beautiful.

'Take this.' He said and threw her an old blanket which had been lying there.

At this point she felt that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't as despicable as she'd thought. After all, she'd never heard of Earls giving up clothing and blankets for other people, much less a poor seamstress such as herself.

A little later, they had taken up places on opposite sides of the small space. Curled into a small ball with the blanket around her, she was trying not to stare at him. Her vision had adjusted to the darkness and she'd never had a view like the one before her. He sat there with his eyes on her, which was making her blush badly since all he was wearing were his pants. He'd given his shirt to her and set his coat, socks and shoes to dry beside her clothes and slippers. She tried but failed to not let her eyes roam over his sculpted chest and stomach, which looked as if chiseled from stone, or his muscular arms and hands. Those hands which had been on her person on more than one occasion and just remembering those incidents made her face grow redder than it already was.

She sneezed, her fifth in about ten minutes if her count was right. Even if she wasn't wearing wet clothes, there was nothing to be done about her long, heavy hair which would take time to dry. She'd let it out of her bun so that she didn't suffer a headache later and in the hope that it would dry faster.

'Achhoo!'

He frowned at her.

'Come here.'

She blinked at him.

'I don't want to.'

'Fine, then.' He said, got up and sat back down next to her.

'You're going to fall sick.' Was the only explanation he gave before he put an arm around her.

Was he – was he actually trying to keep her from freezing? She felt guilty at his words. Here she was, wrapped up in a blanket while he sat there in the cold. With a trembling hand, she offered him a side of the blanket.

Lord Kurosaki Ichigo absolutely did not gape in surprise. That was the only reason keeping him from doing so. For the life of him, he couldn't understand how someone could be so . . . nice.

She tried not to react in any way as he moved closer and wrapped the blanket properly so that it covered both of them. And then she froze as he put his arm around her again.

She could feel his heated skin against her and she tried not to shudder at the warmth.

* * *

The ever-cautious Miss Inoue had finally fallen asleep and her head had dropped down to rest on his shoulder. For some reason, he didn't mind so much. But she would have an ache in her neck the next morning if it stayed like that. He sighed. Just what kind of a considerate fool had she made out of him?

Oh well. Maybe it was time for a change in position.

* * *

A chest. That's what it was. She had woken up in the morning with her cheek pressed against a man's chest. And found herself in his lap with his arms around her slim waist. In some strange way, she felt so safe, so . . . protected in his embrace. He looked so peaceful in his sleep, his bright orange hair falling over his handsome face. She looked upwards at his strong jaw and sensual lips, past his straight nose to his eyes, which had been shut. Until now, that is. Stormy gray eyes widened as they met his piercing chocolate brown gaze and his mouth curled into a smirk.

'See something you like, Miss Inoue?'

She gave a mortified squeak and immediately shot up and off of him, forgetting her current lack of clothing. His unabashedly lustful gaze trailed from her face to her generous bust, down her waist and hips and followed her exposed legs to her dainty feet.

She blushed violently and turned to grab her now-dry clothing from the floor. She heard his amused chuckle from behind her as he obliged her shyness and looked away, allowing her to change.

They emerged from the shed, and started to walk when they both halted. Their directions had been the opposite of each other.

'Where are you going?'

'To find my – '

'Sister? No, you're not.'

'I beg your pardon, my lord?'

'I'm not giving you an option, Miss Inoue.'

'But I – '

'– don't care.' He finished. She was trying not to glare at him.

'I'm not running after you on some wild goose chase.'

'The _goose_,' she said, 'happens to be my sister. And I didn't ask you to come with me, my lord.'

'Oh? And who's to ensure that you don't run off?'

'I would never.' Her tone was icy and her eyes flashed at him.

'Be as that may, I do not take chances.'

He stared in disbelief as she simply turned her back on him and started to walk away. She had just taken a step forward when a hand gripping her wrist stopped her from going any further.

'Miss Inoue?' he hissed but she didn't even bat an eyelash at his anger as she coolly turned her face to him.

'I'm going, Lord Kurosaki, whether you like it or not.'

The next moment he had her pinned against a tree.

* * *

A/N: Cliffhanger! Ahahahahahahaha! I'm sorry. No really, I am! *gets whacked*

I got a little crazy there. Just in case you didn't notice.

Thanks for reviewing to **Misha **and **liez**!

I hope you all enjoyed it! Lemme know your thoughts!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hello again!

Thanks for reviewing, faving and following everyone!

**Misha **and **Temarixx **– Glad you liked it! Thanks for reviewing!

Neko-chan ~ ~ arigato!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter – 8**

He was holding her wrist over her head and had his other hand next to her waist on the tree trunk as he leaned in, mere inches away from her. She couldn't move.

'Don't tempt me, Miss Inoue.' He said in a dangerously smooth voice.

Her heart was thudding loud and fast. She didn't want to be, but she was scared. He looked absolutely feral.

His eyes had a wild look about them and she was loathe to admit it but it terrified her.

He was leaning in closer and closer, reducing the distance between their faces.

'Now, you can come peacefully,' he breathed in her ear and she fought the shiver that went through her, 'or I can drag you back, kicking and screaming.'

He pulled back a little but their faces were so close that she could feel his breath as he spoke.

'I was going to say that the choice is yours but then again, it's not really a choice, is it?' he taunted her cruelly and moved closer still. In another second, their lips would have met, had he not suddenly turned away and left her to follow him, helpless and humiliated.

* * *

Once again, she traipsed about the empty corridors of the manor in pursuit of something to keep her mind occupied and away from the troublesome thoughts. She came upon a closed door and stopped when she heard muffled noises.

'Is it done?' a familiar voice said and she stilled. This was the Lord's room.

'Not yet, my lord. I have asked for someone to be sent tomorrow.'

He appeared to be talking to a man, his butler probably.

'Good. Did you discover the reason behind it?'

'Yes, my lord. The ropes holding the chandelier up were quite old and frayed. Apparently, they had not been replaced before your purchase of the manor.'

'I see. And how long will it take?'

'Well since the person who is coming tomorrow, I think he should be able to complete the repairs in a day or two.'

'Alright. But get him to fix the door to the treasury first.'

'Of course, my lord.'

'There's silver down there that's been in my family for centuries. We wouldn't want another thief breaking in to steal my family heirlooms, now would we?'

'No, my lord.'

By the time the lord dismissed the man, she was already back in her bedroom. From that one conversation, she'd got all the information she needed. Quickly, she had formulated a plan. This was going to be risky and dangerous and quite possibly her last resort. She carefully opened the door and made her way to her destination, taking care not to be seen by anyone.

She cautiously crept into the treasury, thankful that the door hadn't been repaired yet. She didn't know what exactly she was looking for but she had a basic idea of what she needed in order to succeed. She held up her lantern higher to illuminate the unlit room and looked trunk after trunk of precious gold ornaments and coins. There were priceless artifacts and expensive weapons too. But that was not what she was here for. A glint of something caught her eye and she smiled to herself. Then she saw something that she didn't expect to find. This might be even better than what she'd had in mind.

* * *

She was more nervous than she had been in her entire life. It was eating at her and her heart was in her throat. She was walking into the proverbial lion's den. Except this time it was actually the case.

Slowly, carefully, she pushed the door just enough for her to slip inside. She had just entered the bedchambers of Lord Ichigo Kurosaki.

A single look at the sight in front of her made heat rush to her face. _Oh sweet Lord in Heaven_. This was too much.

He was stretched out on the massive four-poster bed and the dim, flickering light from the candles in the wall sconces shone on his prone form. He slept with no shirt on and her gaze involuntarily traced his hard chest and toned abdomen, the midnight black sheets bringing out the tanned color of his skin. Her eyes trailed along the muscles of his strong arms and she almost forgot to chastise herself for gawking at him.

She swallowed the lump that had lodged itself in her throat and focused on the task at hand.

* * *

There.

Finally, it was done.

She was sure he wouldn't like it one bit.

After all, he _was_ shackled to his own bed. There were wooden cuffs around his hands which were chained to opposite posts on the corners of the headboard. Not to mention that she was straddling him, his sculpted abdomen to be exact, in a horrendously scandalous manner. The hem of the dark, emerald green dress she wore had ridden up to expose her shapely calves, which were bare, as were her feet. It was probably silly but she wasn't going to soil his bed with her slippers, even if she did have a silver knife pointed at him.

She could hear her own heart pounding fast but she tried to remain calm.

And then he awoke.

Amber eyes blazed at her through tendrils of orange hair.

Even in a situation like this with a blade in his face, a dangerous smirk curved his lips. She had to admit that she was impressed at his absolute control over his facial expression which was the same as always, wordlessly taunting her.

'To what do I owe this pleasure, Miss Inoue?' he drawled, taking note of the breath she took in to compose herself.

'It is very simple, my lord.' She stated bluntly, 'You will help me or I will kill you.'

'Oh? And just what is it that you so desperately need my help for?'

'I need you to find my sister.'

'This again? I grow tired of this sister of yours. Surely there are more interesting things to discuss, aren't there?' He said flippantly and his smirk grew wider as she glared at him, '_Do_ tell me more of how you're planning to kill me.'

It was her turn to smile in satisfaction.

'You really shouldn't keep such valuable information lying about, my lord.'

Her visit to the library had found her in some of the most deserted parts of it and the books there looked like they hadn't been touched for centuries. She'd opened the black tome, the color of which had jumped out at her and saw that it was all about vampires. What was more, instead of fables and folklore, it had detailed accounts of incidences, powers and poisons related to the creatures, as if it was some sort of published research.

An enigmatic expression passed through his eyes.

'You say you'll kill me if I don't comply.'

'Yes, my lord.'

'Go ahead, then.'

Her eyes widened in shock.

It was an extremely tough decision for her. She was a person who hated hurting others, no matter the reason. She knew that the guilt of killing someone would eat away at her for the rest of her life. She had been desperately hoping that he would agree so that she wouldn't have to but that had not happened. And now she had little choice.

She raised the knife high over him pointing toward him.

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath but her resolve was already slipping.

Nevertheless, she brought the knife down.

Memories invaded her mind.

_His disgruntled expression as he stood in the rain beside her, making him look like a half-drowned cat . . ._

_The mysterious look in his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her under that thin blanket . . ._

_The feel of his soft but strong lips as he kissed her that night not so long ago . . ._

The knife stopped millimeters from his heart. She cursed her own weakness and inability to end his life as her trembling hands clenched the hilt.

She lifted her gaze to find sharp, piercing eyes boring into her, an oddly serious expression on his face.

It was gone the next moment as he spoke.

'_Vampires usually appear to be mysterious and handsome. They have been believed to have hypnotic powers or some sort of control over humans. This is however, untrue and it is only their good looks which appeal to the humans. These creatures of the night have been mistakenly named so as they are unaffected by sunlight or fire. They appear in mirrors and are not affected by garlic or herbs of any sort. They sleep at night and not in coffins contrary to what is widely known. In fact, they have only a few weaknesses if any, two of which are wood and silver, although wood will only hurt and contain vampires. One of the only ways to kill a vampire is to stab a silver knife through the heart._'

She was still and speechless. He'd quoted the passage from the book word to word.

'H-How did – '

'How did I know? I should, considering I'm the one who wrote it.'

'What?!'

His mouth was curved into a dangerous, heart-stopping grin.

'Why, Miss Inoue, I had no idea you found me so devilishly handsome.'

Her mouth fell open in abject mortification and blood rushed to her face.

His expression was lethal. His eyes were wild, ferocious as that of a tiger.

He yanked his hands forward in a powerful move.

The chains snapped.

The beast was free and furious. And she was his terrified prey.

* * *

A/N: And there it is!

I swear I had 'Sexy Back' by Justin Timberlake on repeat when I wrote this! It's very inspirational. ^_^

And there's something about Ichigo in chains that's very . . . _intriguing_ . . .

*Ahem*.

I hope you liked it! Lemme know your thoughts!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Konnichiwa!

OVER FIFTY REVIEWS! You guys seriously cannot imagine how happy I am!

ARIGATO GOZAIMASU!

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Neko-chan ~ ~ Arigato!

Disclaimer: Bleach = Not mine.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter – 9**

His fierce eyes bored into her and she hurriedly scrambled off of him, her knife falling from her fingers as she tried to distance herself from him. Pride and courage ceased to matter in front of his chilling glare. Her heart in her throat, she made a mad dash for the double doors of the impressive bedchamber - only to have him appear directly in her path, preventing her escape.

Not to be deterred, she swiftly changed directions and rushed to another set of doors she had seen earlier . . . only to emerge onto a wide balcony. She whirled around to find him observing her with open amusement and disdain from the doorway as he took slow, unhurried steps towards her. She backed up, trying to maintain some space between them but that seemed impossible. The cold wind whipped about her figure and she almost stumbled when her feet met with the base of the beautiful balustrade. He was still moving, getting closer and closer. She tried to back up further and lost her balance.

Her body tilted backwards and gravity took over. Her eyes were wide and a surprised cry burst forth from her throat. She was sure she would have met her death falling through the trees to the gardens more than three stories below had it not been for the arms that wrapped themselves about her waist and pulled her back.

Her palms met his bare chest as she braced herself against the sudden impact. He clutched her impossibly close and there was hardly any space between them. Bright orange hair that shone in the moonlight and sharp amber eyes took up her vision. His grip was like iron around her. She timidly lifted her head and dazed grey eyes met molten amber ones.

Once again, there was that enigmatically serious expression on his handsome face. She drew in a shaky breath and her hands trembled against his heated skin.

Something changed in his eyes and the very next moment, he crashed his lips down to hers.

She was crushed against his hard chest as he held her, his soft but strong lips moving sensually against hers. She didn't know what he did, but like the last time, she found her defenses slipping away. It was always like this. She wasn't weak-willed or stupid, but against him, all her efforts were meaningless. And when he was kissing her like this, she had no control and her mind stopped thinking to just let her feel.

He savored her sweet taste and the floral fragrance that engulfed him with each breath that he pulled in. He turned his head, deepening the kiss. His teeth tugged slightly at her lush bottom lip and her mouth opened on a gasp. Without further delay, he plunged his tongue into her waiting moist warmth and felt her shiver against him. Timidly, her tongue met his in a soft movement and he bit back a groan. He soon won over her feeble attempts to fight him and swept his tongue against the roof of her mouth. His hands found themselves on her hips in a firm grip as he placed gentle kisses on her cheek and jaw. She subconsciously tilted her head and he trailed his lips against the column of her pale neck.

His dexterous fingers reached up to tug at the pin holding her hair up, freeing her thick, lustrous, burnt-orange locks. He combed his hand through the heavy, silky auburn mass while the other remained at her hip. Possibly impatient at having to bend down, he suddenly lifted her up and set her such that she sat on the edge of the balustrade. Unhindered by their height difference, his lips found her pulse point again and his tongue traced her soft skin.

He parted her knees to stand closer to her, pressing her soft body against himself. He teased her delicate throat with his teeth and his tongue laved the tender skin to soothe the spot. He didn't realize that she had frozen, still as a statue.

His hands made a path back to her slim waist, brushing her thighs over her dress as he trailed butterfly kisses from her neck to just below her jaw.

A wet drop landed on his cheek and he looked up in surprise. The sight he opened his previously shut eyes to made him feel as he had been knifed in the gut. He had caused this. It was him.

Her eyes were squeezed shut. She was sniffling, crying softly and biting her bottom lip to try not to. A single tear, glistening like crystal on her pale cheek made its way down the side of her face and he _hated_ it.

Her hands, which until moments ago had been pressed against his chest now hung loosely at her sides.

'Why, Orihime?' he asked.

Her teary eyes opened in shock upon hearing him speak her given name. They grew wider as his hand came up to gently cup her face and his thumb brushed away the wetness on her cheek. She held back her silent sobs and a guilt that was now excruciatingly familiar to him plagued him.

'What's wrong?' he questioned.

Her head dipped forward and she rested her forehead against his shoulder, her body shaking as she tried to stop her tears.

'I – I'm not going back on my promise, but c – can I p – please have some time? I'm not ready yet.' She whispered in a broken voice.

He pulled away slightly and tilted her chin up to meet her gaze.

'Ready for what?'

'To be taken.' She breathed.

A ton of bricks falling on his head could have compared to what he felt at her confession. He knew what she thought of him, for he had wanted her to think all that. But now, it tormented him.

She continued to speak.

'I can try to convince myself all I want, but the fact remains that I'm not ready for this. I – I had always thought that I would give myself to someone I loved after we were married and all of that. And as much as I don't want to, somewhere deep inside, I . . . still love you.'

How? How was it possible for someone to be so innocent, so forgiving? How could she even manage to say such words of affection to someone like him?

'Why?' he rasped hoarsely, 'Why do you still love me?'

'I don't know!' she sniffed, 'I don't know myself. My mind tells me that you're despicable. A man who caused me to be separated from a beloved sister, a man who destroyed and shattered my cheerful existence, a man who wants to rob the only thing I have left to give, after which I will have nothing, I will be nothing.'

Every word that fell from those beautiful, red lips was like the serrated edge of a rusty blade pressing against a fresh, open wound.

'But,' she continued and an inexplicable hope soared somewhere inside him, 'my heart says that maybe, just maybe, you're not that bad. And I'm scared because I want to trust that. The small voice says that you really haven't harmed me, that you have even helped me . . . that there have been times that you have cared for me. I can't deny that I loved you before all of this. I loved you and I still do. But I don't know if I should. And these tears are because I can't choose!'

She was openly sobbing now, a waterfall of tears cascading down her beautiful pale face in the moonlight.

He scooped her up from the balustrade and ignored her slight squeak of surprise. Re-entering his candle-lit room, he proceeded to sit upon his bed, his precious bundle situated sideways on his lap, her bare feet resting on the sheets.

He felt sickened at the fear he saw in her eyes as she swallowed.

He pulled her arms around his neck and placed his own around her.

'Shh.' He breathed in her ear. 'Calm down. Nothing will happen to you. Do not be afraid.'

Her sobs quietened down but did not stop. A huge burden had been lifted by telling him but her anxiety and confusion had not disappeared. She cried softly against his shoulder, her tears dripping down to his chest, but he did not utter a word. She stayed like that the whole night, finally giving vent to her fears and he held her through it all.

* * *

A/N: Tada!

Hope you liked it! Lemme know your thoughts!


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